Clip structure for hanging wire



May 4, 1965 A. J. SASSIN CLIP STRUCTURE FOR HANGING WIRE Filed Dec. 20, 1962 BY J/L o Serra-:22 fen/a United States Patent 3,181,827 CLIP STRUCTURE FOR HANGING WIRE Anthony J. Sassin, 27735 Roy, St. Clair Shores, Mich. Filed Dec. 20, 1962, Ser. No. 246,130 3 Claims. (Cl. 24874) This invention relates to a clip structure for hanging wire, and more particularly to a clip structure attachable along the roof line of a building without the use of screws or other similar fastening means whereby a string of wire, such as a string of Christmas lights, can be hung for decorative purposes.

It is common practice during the Christmas season to decorate the exterior of a house with Christmas lights. In the past, the strings of lights have been hung by the use of conventional hanger or fastening structures. For example, eye-screws, bent over nails, and staples have been used. Such means have proven undesirable for several reasons. One disadvantage is the difficulty of installing permanent fastening means. The householder must work at the top of a ladder with hand tools which, considering the relative inexperience of the average householder, is diflicult and sometimes dangerous. Additionally, it is undesirable to penetrate the wood of a house with permanent fastening means such as nails or screws because such fastening means may ultimately lead to rotting of the wood. Frequently, in installing the wire, the insulation is broken resulting in a short circuit. Another disadvantage of such systems resides in the labor involved in removing the string of lights and hanger means after the Christmas season is over.

The present invention solves this problem by providing a clip structure which may be attached along the roof line of a house by direct attachment to the available elements of the building. The clips are easily installed and removed and do not require fastening means such as screws, nails or staples.

It is therefore an object of the invention to providea clip structure for attachment along the roof line of a building for the hanging of wire.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in one embodiment, a clip structure directly attachable to the gables of a house, the clip structure having an element which is inserted beneath a shingle for engagement with the underside of the shingle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gable clip having a prong structure engageable with a shingle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gutter clip attachable to the eave trough which is provided directly beneath the side edges of a roof.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a gutter clip which is configured to match the configuration of the eave trough for secure attachment thereto.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of the roof portion of a house with the clip structures of the present invention mounted on the gables and eave troughs thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating the construction of the gable clip; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the construction of the gutter clip.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

3,181,827 Patented May 4, 1965 ice since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the clip construction is applied to a house 10 having a gable 12 and gutters 14, 16 provided directly beneath the side edges 13 of the roof 20.

The gutter clips 22 are provided in spaced apart relationship along the gutters 14, 16. The gable clips 24 are provided in spaced apart relationship along the gable 12. A string of Christmas tree lights 26 extends along the gutters 14, 16 and gable 12 and is retained in place by the clips 24, 22.

The gable clip construction is illustrated in FIGURE 2. A conventional roof structure is illustrated. The structure comprises a freeze board 28, a brick mold 30, and a roof board 32 which is overlaid by shingle 34. As is common practice, the shingle 34 is secured to the roof board 32 at its uppermost end, the lower end 36 being unattached.

The gable clip 24 is fabricated from a fiat strip of springy metal or plastic. Plastic is preferred because of its non-rusting character and its electrical insulating property. The clip 24 comprises a wire retaining portion 38, an upwardly extending portion 40 continuing from the wire retaining portion 38, a U-shaped portion 42 continuing from the upwardly extending portion 40 and a shingle engaging portion 44 continuing rearwardly from the U-shaped portion 42.

The wire retaining portion 38 comprises a loop having one free end 46 which is bent outwardly to permit manual spreading of the loop for the insertion of the wire 26. After the wire has been inserted, the end 46 is released to close the loop to the position shown to thereby prevent the wire from escaping as the result of a natural force such as the wind.

The U-shaped portion 42 is configured to match the shape and size of the brick mold 30. The springiness of the clip provides a frictional engagement of the U-shaped portion 42 with the brick mold 30 to assist in retaining the clip in place. However, positive retention of the clip is provided by the shingle engaging portion 44. As will be noted, the portion 44 is inserted beneath the shingle 34. A plurality of upwardly and forwardly extending prongs 48 are provided on the portion 44.. These prongs 48 bite into the underside of the shingle 34 to retain the clip in place. In practice, after the shingle engaging portion 44 has been inserted beneath the shingle 34, a slight downward pressure on the shingle will result in engagement of the prongs 48 therewith. The clip 24 may be removed by lifting the shingle 34 upwardly to disengage the prongs 48.

The structure of the gutter clip 22 may be seen in FIGURE 3. As will be noted, the gutter 14 is of conventional configuration having an outer wall 50 with a curved upper portion-52 and a lip 54. The gutter clip 22 is fabricated from a fiat strip of springy metal or plastic and has a wire retaining portion 56 with substantially the same configuration and function as the wire retaining portion 38 of the gable clip 24. An upwardly extending portion 58 continues from the wire retaining portion 56. Approximately the upper half of the portion 58 is curved to match the configuration of the upper portion 52 of the wall 50. This construction permits the clip 22 to abut against the gutter to thereby provide a more secured attachment of the clip to the gutter. A hook portion 62 continues from the upwardly extending portion 58 and engages the lip 54 of the gutter to thereby retain the clip in place.

As will be appreciated, the clips 22, 24 may be quickly and easily installed or removed. There is no chance that the clips will cut the insulation of the wire 26 to cause a short circuit and the wire 26 is securely attached in place but may be removed without removing the clips if desired. The clips themselves may be left in place after the wire is removed or, for the sake of appearance, they may be removed along with the wire.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a building having a roof with a gable and with gutters secured adjacent the side edges of the roof, a plurality of gutter clips attached in spaced apart relationship to the gutters and a plurality of gable clips attached in spaced apart relationship to the gable, said gable clips and gutter clips being provided for hanging a wire, each of said gutter clips comprising a wire retain ing portion, an upwardly extending portion continuing from the wire retaining portion, said upwardly extending portion having a curved configuration to match the configuration of the upper outer wall portion of the gutter, and a hook portion continuing from the upwardly extending portion, said hook portion being in engagement with the lip of the upper end of the outer wall of the gutter, each of said gable clips comprising a wire etaining portion, an upwardly extending portion continuing from the wire retaining portion, and a shingle engaging portion continuing from the upwardly extending portion and received beneath a roof shingle, said shingle engaging portion having an upwardly extending prong structure in engagement with the underside of the roof shingle.

2. A clip for attachment to the gable of the roof of a building for hanging wire comprising a wire retaining portion, an upwardly extending portion continuing from 4 the wire retaining portion, and a shingle engaging portion continuing rearwardly from the upwardly extending portion for insertion beneath a roof shingle, said shingle engaging portion having an upwardly and forwardly extending prong structure for engagement with the underside of a roof shingle.

3. A clip for attachment to the gable of the roof of a building for hanging wire comprising a wire retaining portion, an upwardly extending portion continuing from the wire retaining portion, a U-shaped portion continuing from the wire retaining portion for reception on the brick mold of the roof, and a shingle engaging portion continuing rearwardly from the U-shaped portion for insertion beneath a roof shingle, said shingle engaging portion having an upwardly and forwardly extending prong structure for engagement with the underside of a roof shingle.

References titted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 441,511 11/90 Segur 248301 X 1,308,066 7/19 Hayes 248301 X 1,313,044 8/19 Anderson 248-48.2 1,409,291 3/22 Giroux 248-32 1,530,180 3/25 Holmes.

1,601,652 9/26 Sohnle 248211 1,856,847 5 32 Gates 248-226 2,241,657 5/41 Dehring 248-7l 2,564,891 8/51 Ganter 248-301 X FOREIGN PATENTS 867,114 5/61 Great Britain.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A BUILDING HAVING A ROOF WITH A GABLE AND WITH GUTTERS SECURED ADJACENT THE SIDE EDGES OF THE ROOF, A PLURALITY OF GUTTER CLIPS ATTACHED IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP TO THE GUTTERS AND A PLURALITY OF ABLE CLIPS ATTACHED IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP TO THE GABLE, SAID GABLE CLIPS AND GUTTER CLIPS BEING PROVIDED FOR HANGING A WIRE, EACH OF SAID GUTTER CLIPS COMPRISING A WIRE RETAINING PORTION, AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING PORTION CONTINUING FROM THE WIRE RETAINING PORTION, SAID UPWARDLY EXTENDING PORTION HAVING A CURVED CONFIGURATION TO MATCH THE CONFIGURATION OF THE UPPER OUTER WALL PORTION OF THE GUTTER, AND A HOOK PORTION CONTINUING FROM THE UPWARDLY EXTENDING PORTION, SAID HOOK PORTION BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LIP OF THE UPPER END OF THE OUTER WALL OF THE GUTTER, EACH OF SAID GABLE CLIPS COMPRISING A WIRE RETAINING PORTION, AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING PORTION CONTINUING FROM THE WIRE RETAINING PORTION, AND A SHINGLE ENGAGING PORTION CONTINUING FROM THE UPWARDLY EXTENDING PORTION AND RECEIVED BENEATH A ROOF SHINGLE, SAID SHINGLE ENGAGING PORTION HAVING AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING PRONG STRUCTURE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ROOF SHINGLE. 